Bear Gulch STL: hunting rules and access
Bear Gulch STL is 640 acres of State Trust Land in Custer County, Colorado, in game management unit 69. CPW lists bear, deer, elk, mountain lion, rabbit, squirrel and turkey for it, and its rules for the property run to 1 line: 0 on its page for the property and 1 in its regulations.
| Kind | State Trust Land |
|---|---|
| County | Custer |
| Game management unit | 69 |
| Size | 640 acres |
| Coordinates | 38.1791, -105.2738 (middle of the boundary CPW maps) |
| Map | Open Bear Gulch STL on the map |
| Among CPW properties in unit 69 | 3rd largest of 7 by the acres on CPW's pages, 12% of their 5,260 acres together |
| CPW's page read | October 8, 2026 |
State Trust Land is closed to the public unless CPW leases it, and this parcel is open only on the terms printed below. How the kinds of public land differ.
What CPW lists for hunting here
Bear, Deer, Elk, Mountain lion, Rabbit, Squirrel, Turkey.
A species on this list is one CPW names for the property. It still needs an open season, the right license for the unit, and nothing in the restrictions below against it on your dates.
Who may enter
Everyone age 16 years or older MUST have a valid hunting or fishing license to access a state trust land.
Restrictions on CPW's page for this property
None printed on the property's page.
In CPW's regulations
- a. Open for public access from the first day of archery deer and elk season through May 31.
From CPW regulations, chapter W-9 (Wildlife Properties), 2 CCR 406-9, dated July 16, 2026.
Read it at the source before you go
The rules above are CPW's words, copied from CPW's page for Bear Gulch STL as it read on October 8, 2026 and from the regulations for CPW properties. CPW can change them or close the property at any time, signs on the ground count, and a rule that names a season moves with that season each year.
Unit 69, around Bear Gulch STL
- Elk in unit 69, 2024: 293 hunters in all seasons took 77 elk, 26% success (2023: 27% from 335 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 228 hunters, 28%. Unit 69 elk by season
- Deer in unit 69, 2024: 917 hunters in all seasons took 441 deer, 48% success (2023: 48% from 1,090 hunters). The rifle seasons alone: 708 hunters, 52%. Unit 69 deer by season
- Unit 69: 292 square miles in Custer and Fremont Counties, 26% national forest and 6.2% BLM land, from 5,200 to 9,800 feet.
Colorado Parks and Wildlife survey estimates for the whole unit, private land included. They are not figures for this property, and whether elk or deer may be hunted here is in CPW's list above.
2026 elk and deer rifle hunt codes for unit 69
| Season | 2026 dates | Legal shooting light here, opening day | Elk codes | Deer codes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st rifle | Oct 14 to Oct 18 | 6:39 AM to 6:54 PM | E-M-069-O1-R bull | |
| 2nd rifle | Oct 24 to Nov 1 | 6:49 AM to 6:41 PM | E-F-069-O2-R cow E-M-069-O2-R bull | D-M-069-O2-R buck |
| 3rd rifle | Nov 7 to Nov 15 | 6:04 AM to 5:25 PM | E-F-069-O3-R cow E-M-069-O3-R bull | D-M-069-O3-R buck |
| 4th rifle | Nov 18 to Nov 22 | 6:16 AM to 5:17 PM | E-F-069-O4-R cow E-M-069-O4-R bull | D-M-069-O4-R buck |
A code valid in the unit is not permission to hunt this property: the property's own list and restrictions decide that. Legal light is half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset at the coordinates above, on the Colorado clock; the state's printed table is the rule. Archery, muzzleloader, late and private-land codes are on the unit pages: unit 69 elk, unit 69 deer.
Nearest CPW properties to Bear Gulch STL
| Property | Distance | Direction | Mapped acres | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson Gulch STL | 6.0 miles | west | 653 | 69 |
| Florence STL | 8.2 miles | north-east | 614 | 69 |
| West Bear Gulch STL | 9.4 miles | north | 583 | 69 |
| Rosita STL | 9.5 miles | south | 684 | 84 |
| DeWeese Reservoir SWA | 10.4 miles | west | 1,155 | 69, 691 |
Straight-line miles between the middles of the boundaries CPW maps, not road miles. A property can be much nearer at its edge.
More CPW properties in unit 69
Grape Creek STLNewlin Creek STL
All 721 State Wildlife Areas and State Trust Lands
Have a tag for this fall?
A FilledTag plan checks the rules of any CPW property it uses against your species and your dates, and gives you one exact plan: where to park, camp and sit, with every pin checked against public land and road rules.